My favorite pastimes include photography, film & media, as well as animal rescue. I love to combine these into different passion projects, both individually, and with community groups and non-profit organizations.
The Amazon Rainforest is the most important land ecosystem in mitigating the effects of climate change. Yet, the remote landscape is difficult to regulate, leaving this ecosystem vulnerable to deforestation caused by illegal gold mining. Through my partnership with filmmaker Sarah Lupton, I have teamed up with a grassroots organization in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, led by 2016 National Geographic Society/Buffett Award winner Victor Zambrano.
The Defenders is a storytelling project utilizing film and digital media to create an immersive experience to educate global audiences and drive meaningful action. Our work is supported by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation and the Center of Conflict & Development at Texas A&M University, and directly benefits the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA).
Every year in March, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world—filmmakers, artists, designers, musicians, politicians, athletes, chefs, scholars, influencers, writers, poets, activists, and wizards—gather in downtown Austin, Texas, to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival. It’s favorite time of year. I’ve been a member of the official SXSW Photography Crew since 2011. As a photographer with Getty Images, I have published hundreds of photos in media outlets, including Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, People, National Geographic, Variety, and The Guardian, among many others.
Anthropology is my profession, but photography is maybe my biggest passion. I love photographing wildlife and dogs (especially Matilda) the most. But everything through my lens gives me joy—friends, concerts, events, sunrises, trees, and more. For me, photography is a kind of meditation, a way to be present, to focus, and to see, really see.
view Botswana Elephant galleryview Okavango Delta gallery
Matilda came to me as a puppy when she was 6-7 months old. I found her hiding under my house in rural Texas. She was extremely shy, and yet somehow, for some reason, already so attentive to me. We quickly became best friends. For 18 years, she lived so joyfully and adventurously. She journeyed across five deserts on two continents, crossed paths with elephants and zebras in Botswana, coyotes and moose in Colorado, and armadillos and bobcats in her own backyard in Texas. She played in the surf of three seas, hiked to alpine lakes in the Rocky Mountains, crossed the Rio Grande, and kayaked the green rivers of the Hill Country. She climbed boulders in Joshua Tree, ran the beaches of Big Sur, played among the ancient giants of Sequoia, and perched on the edge of the Grand Canyon. For all her travels, Matilda loved the grasslands of the Texas Hill Country, especially in the spring when the fields were adorned with bluebonnets and all the wildflowers of the rainbow. In 2016, we started a photo series called "Matilda and Flowers," honoring her love affair with the smells and soft warmth of the spring. We started creating calendars, with all proceeds donated to our favorite shelter in Texas, Austin Pets Alive! On January 17, 2023, two weeks past her 18th birthday, she passed away. People who got to know her on social media sent so many messages of condolence, an outpouring of love that astonished me. To honor her memory, her fans raised more than $22,000 for senior dogs at Austin Pets Alive! I am working to make “Matilda Day” an annual opportunity to give to senior dogs in shelters everywhere.
view Matilda's Gallery
Poppy was born in a cattle post in Botswana. When she was still a pup, she suffered an injury and lost her ability to walk. That didn’t slow her. With all the determined energy in the world, she dragged her way into our research camp. She was so vulnerable, but she somehow evaded the lions, hyenas, and other dangers. Her smiling eyes were impossible to resist. We named her Poppy and made a plan to help. That plan began with a 12-hour journey on dirt roads past elephant herds just to get her to a vet. Ultimately it led her to the U.S. and into the hearts and home of a family who welcomed her with open arms. Now she runs like the wind with a race cart in the wilds of Washington, DC, and she lives with her with her pup sister, Molly, three kitties, and her humans. Poppy’s story was featured in People, The Dodo, BoredPanda, Yahoo News, and the nightly news in South Africa. She gained thousands of devoted followers from every continent. She’s just a pup. Just a paralyzed pup with the spirit of a tornado. But she hit a nerve, and she’s given us all so much joy.
Thank you for all your love for Matilda and senior dogs in shelters on the first annual Matilda Day! We reached and exceeded the $19K goal in less than a week. I am so grateful. Here is a message from Austin Pets Alive!
